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UNESCO organizes meeting on media regulation at WSIS Forum 2011

On 18 May 2011 UNESCO convenes a facilitation meeting on Action Line C9: Media at WSIS Forum 2011, which is taking place from 16 to 20 May 2011 in Geneva, Switzerland. Organized by UNESCO the sixth time, this year's meeting will focus on media regulation frameworks of broadcasters, particularly public service broadcasting, and the emerging social network platforms.

In the digital age, characterized by convergence of traditional media with ICT and prospering user-generated content, UNESCO is taking a global and holistic approach in exploring regulatory framework for both traditional and new media. The meeting on Media Regulation: Broadcasters and Social Media at WSIS Forum 2011 will therefore explore various guidelines and media regulation frameworks of both traditional public service broadcasting and the new social media platform, which well feed into crosscutting areas of WSIS Action Line C9.

Recent outcomes, guidelines and publications on the subject will be presented by panelists and debated with stakeholders. UNESCO will take the opportunity to launch its new publications, <a href="ev.php?URL_ID=31375&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201">Public Service Broadcasting: A Comparative Legal Survey</a> and <a href="ev.php?URL_ID=29314&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201">Guidelines for Broadcasters on Promoting User-generated Content and Media and Information Literacy</a>.

UNESCO has been organizing such sessions since 2006 in its capacity of facilitator of Action Line 9: Media, as part of its efforts to ensure regular dialogue and stimulate collaborations on media-related activities, in line with the objectives decided upon at the Geneva and Tunis Summits.

The main objectives of this year's meeting are to:

<li>encourage information sharing and exchanges between relevant stakeholders on their activities, contributing to the implementation of Action line 9: Media;

<li>discuss the possibility of partnerships in this area; and

<li>consolidate the multi-stakeholder approach.

The session will be transmitted through live webcast on the <a target=_blank href="http://groups.itu.int/wsis-forum2011/About/RemoteParticipation.aspx">ITU website</a>. The programme is available in the PDF file below.